After a deadly train station collapse and ongoing government inaction, students have taken their message across Europe on foot. Maria came on the Breakfast Show to tell us more about this.

The students running from Serbia to Brussels, Belgium are nearing the end of an 18-day, 1,500-kilometer ultramarathon in a dramatic protest against systemic corruption and democratic decline in their country. Over the weekend, they were greeted by a crowd of 200–300 supporters in Luxembourg, including members of the Serbian diaspora and local officials.

The student movement began last November after the roof of a newly renovated train station in Novi Sad collapsed, killing 16 people. The tragedy, widely seen as the result of corruption and mismanagement, followed two school shootings in 2023 that had already shaken public confidence in Serbia’s institutions.

“This was the tipping point,” said Maria, a protest supporter here in Luxembourg. “Young people are saying, ‘We don’t want to live in a country like this.’”

What makes the movement unique is its structure: there are no official leaders. Students make decisions through horizontal organisation and direct democracy. This is a new model for activism in Serbia. The protest has expanded rapidly to include university professors, high school students, and professionals across sectors.

The ultramarathon to Brussels aims to raise international awareness and prompt pressure from the European Union. The students recently attended a session in Strasbourg, where MEPs affirmed core democratic values and voiced support for their cause.

Their demands include an independent judiciary, freedom of the press, transparent elections and checks on executive power

With a final stop in Brussels this week, students are calling for the EU to turn its words into action.